Seeking the wisdom of the elders...

[308jake]

Let us not forget that any item is only worth what someone is willing to pay at a specific point in time. To the gunshop owner at that particular moment, the gun in question was worth $100. It's as simple as that. As for the OP, in my opinion he should have waited for the transaction to conclude and then proceeded to talk new business with the shop owner or the gentleman with the gun once they exited the store.

 

[M67]

We can throw out the book on a lot of these old firearms. I have seen three of these in the $400-$550 range in the last couple of months. IIRC there was one recently in our own classifieds in the $400 range. The book is a good place to start but by no means the end all conversation piece.
And LEO...Great post. Rep inbound.

You see people asking $400-$550 or you see them selling for that? Big difference and if someone pays that much for an 11-48, ehh. Just because it's old doesn't mean it has value

What they're actually selling for on gunbroker is what the price reflects in the Blue Book, with a few exceptions like always.

 

[nhgluff]

You were in the wrong not your deal not your shop wait till hes outside
plus the gun is worth $350 maybe
$650 hell have it till he dies
$200 is not great had 2 terrible guns dont function thats why it was replaced with the gas operated 48 model

 

[Frosty]

Although I freely acknowledge that the running cameras could influence things, I note that Rick - the shopowner on 'Pawn Stars' - will not allow a seller ignorant of the true value of his possession to be 'taken' in his shop

I recall something about integrity being related to how you act when no one is watching

Well, right or wrong it's not the shop owners job to educate someone on the particular item the person is trying to sell. Now if he would have said that guns junk, I'll give you $20 for it, then tried to sell it for $650, that would be unethical. According to the OP, the gunshop didn't try to trick him, he made an offer to buy the gun for $100. That doesn't sound like a lack of integrity to me, just a business transaction.

 

[seagullplayer]

When we bid jobs we don't want for one reason or another, we bid them high. Its called selling a job.

That way you don't tell the customer you don't want their business, you might come together on something down the road.

Maybe the low price was the shops way of saying they didn't want to do business on this gun. Or maybe it wasn't worth anymore than that.

But either way no one was being strong armed into a deal.

I have a 16 gauge in my cabinet, but I don't have any usable shells for it...

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

​^^^^I'll give you $100 for it.

 

[seagullplayer]

​^^^^I'll give you $100 for it.

No you wouldn't, trust me.

 

[indiucky]

And so? You expect the gun shop does not have a nut to make? Rent, payroll, inventory, payroll taxes, lights, heat, A/C, inter alia is all just given to him by the money fairy?

Did the prospective seller forced to say yes? Or, could he say no and put it on the Internet or walk a gun show?



Why? Have you never purchased a used firearm before? It's a opening bid. Why do you think the gun shop would have to place itself at disadvantage?

All day long on INGO, free market this, free market that, yet we express dismay at the market at work? I don't get it.



Yes. That's why the tort exists.



How do you think money is made? Bernie Sanders flies over and throws checks out the door?

One buys low and sells high. There's nothing wrong with this.

Thanks for showing the other side...

 

[historian]

Thanks for showing the other side...

Now if you want a guy who is more of a collector....

 

[mammynun]

For all the people who constantly preach "Support your local gun store or they won't be there!"

Well folks, this is how they "be there." It's a business, and IMO the OP was out of his lane when he inserted himself into the transaction.

Let's say the store owner paid the man $600, and now has the shotgun on his rack marked at $650. Anyone in this thread want to buy it? I mean, it's got to be a "fair price," right? The store will only make $50 on the deal so it HAS to be fair for all involved... totally good ROI for logging the gun in and out, calling NICS, and tying up $600 in capital for who knows how long.

 

[M67]

Let's say the store owner paid the man $600, and now has the shotgun on his rack marked at $650. Anyone in this thread want to buy it? I mean, it's got to be a "fair price," right? The store will only make $50 on the deal so it HAS to be fair for all involved... totally good ROI for logging the gun in and out, calling NICS, and tying up $600 in capital for who knows how long.

Don't forget the processing fees if the buyer uses a credit card or debit card or tried to haggle down the shelf price

 

[russc2542]

Perfect hindsight and all that, waiting to hear more of the negotiations then telling the old guy to meet him later for a better deal (quietly) OR waiting to hear the negotiations then making an offer to the shop owner ("I'll give you X today (or whenever the paperwork's done), no need to clean/advertise") might have been a better idea.
I see both sides: The LGS was making an opening offer, probably subject to negotiations, thus it wasn't totally out of line. If it was said as a final offer because he knew the old guy couldn't oppose it, then yes he's a dick but that's neither here nor there since none of the rest of us were there to hear much less know what he was thinking. The OP thought the offer was crazy low and was trying to help the old guy. I can relate, I know I'm a horrible, meddling, want-to-be-helpful, know-it-all and have to make a conscious effort not to but into other's conversations all the time. Probably why I like forums, that kind of behavior basically is internet forums. In stores I generally try to limit myself to when someone's flat out wrong about some bit of info.

By making that offer before the old guy accepted the deal, the OP WAS interfering with negotiations and starting a bidding war on the old guys behalf.